Friday, 22 May 2015

News: Further Escalation in the KBP7-G System

KBP7-G system, Providence region. On the 20th of May, at 20:00 EVE Standard Time, Providence Bloc and Northern Coalition(dot) [NC] clashed in the system over Sovereignty Blockade Units, resulting in [NC] escalating to Super Capitals usage.Since the fall of Y-MPWL, [NC] have been mainly reinforcing towers across the north of the region. However, after the massacre of VKI-77, it seems [NC] wished to provoke another fight from Providence Bloc, perhaps to make up for their previous defeat. Thus [NC] brought a 60 pilot Proteus Strategic Cruiser fleet to the KBP7-G system, and attempted to take down the defensive Sovereignty Blockade Units deployed in the system.Providence Bloc was alerted to this, and quickly formed a 150 pilot Naga Battlecruiser fleet, with an e-war Frigate wing and a Stealth Bomber wing, all told Providence Bloc had more than 200 pilots, who quickly made their way to the system.The two fleets clashed on the B-WPLZ gate in the system, after Providence Bloc executed a successful bombing run on the [NC] forces who were situated on the gate. It then jumped its main fleet into KBP7-G and quickly anchored up, starting the fight.

A short battle commenced, with the [NC] force outnumbered and outgunned, its Logistics ships popping one after the other, though managing to return fire and take down some of Providence Bloc's ships. Soon it was forced to retreat to a safe tower in the system, leaving behind a few stragglers that were caught in the interdiction probes and subsequently destroyed.Providence Bloc remained on the gate for a while, while [NC] lit a cynosural beacon off their tower in the system, bridging in reinforcements and Carriers for Triage support, as well as bringing their Super Capital force. The combined fleet, including 28 Super Carriers, warped to the B-WPLZ gate at close range in order to brawl with Providence Bloc. Providence Bloc were not willing to fight on such terms, and retreated to their staging instead, their support fleet destroying the off grid fleet booster for [NC] as a farewell present.

Battle report for the KBP7-G can be found here.The system saw more than 300 pilots in the system during the last confrontation, with Time Dilation not being reported. The engagement on its two parts lasted nearly half an hour, but most of the time was taken by a break in the fighting.Providence Bloc lost 39 ships, for a total of 4 Bil ISK of damages. [NC] managed to lose only 16 ships, but for 3.8 Bil ISK of damage received.Left with nothing, [NC] forces removed the defensive Sovereignty Blockade Units present in the system and sent to bring their own in to deploy. As the first one was being anchored, Providence Bloc managed to destroy both the hauler and steal the Sovereignty Blockade Units, deploying them once more for Providence Bloc, thus forcing [NC] to restart the whole process again.

In the end both the Station and the Infrastructure Hub in the system were put into their shield reinforcement mode, but only after a series of blunders by [NC]. With the VKI-77 massacre as well, [NC] had been on a losing streak, and their current reaction speaks volumes on their state of mind. As one [NC] pilot unironically commentated on Providence Bloc's desperate defense of their home "You asked for it".As the timers tick away, it remains to be seen how [NC] will respond come the next battle, but what is sure, as it gets bogged down in the swamp that is Providence, [NC] may well learn just why Providence Bloc has managed to persist in the region for nearly a decade. The only question is, how will [NC] leave the conflict when it ends?Special thanks to corebloodbrothers, of Volition Cult, The Volition Cult for granting an interview.